Huibrecht van den Eynde

Huibrecht, Hubrecht, Hubertus or Hubert van den Eynde (11 October 1593 – 18 September 1662) was a Flemish sculptor. He is mainly known for his religious sculptures and church furniture although he also worked on some secular projects. In the early 17th century, van den Eynde was one of the leading Flemish sculptors who rejected contrived Mannerist formulae in favour of greater realism. His work shows a development from the early Baroque to the high Baroque. His late style is characterized by a penchant for movement and dashing draperies.

Among his works are his contributions to the monumental Waterpoort (in Antwerp), a high altar in black and white marble and alabaster in the Church of Our Lady of Dendermonde; and the Rubenesque marble statues of Gideon and Joshua in the Antwerp Cathedral.

Life and Family Van den Eynde was born into the van den Eynde family of Antwerp, which produced a number of artists and merchants. The van Eynde workshop, together with the workshops of the Quellinus, Verbrugghen, Willemssens and Scheemaeckers families controlled the sculpture market in 17th century Antwerp. He taught his cousin Sebastiaen van den Eynde, his nephew Sebastiaen de Neve and his son Norbertus. In a testament of van den Eynden and his second wife dated 24 February 1656 the sole heir is Norbertus making it unlikely that Sebastiaen van den Eynde was his son as sometimes has been presumed.

Work He is mainly known for his religious sculptures and church furniture although he also worked on some secular projects. In 1883–84, due to works to the quays on the Scheldt, the gate was moved to the Sint-Jansvliet. In 1933, due to the works to the Scheldt tunnel, it was dismantled again and re-erected in 1936 on the Gillisplaats.

In 1640, van den Eynde worked on altars in the church of Averbode Abbey. In 1648, he realized a side altar of the St. Rumbold Church in Steenokkerzeel. In 1653 he made the high altar for the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van de Goede Wil church of Duffel in collaboration with his son Norbertus.

Van den Eynde's most remarkable works are his religious sculptures which he created for Antwerp's churches and, in particular, its Cathedral. In the 1650s, he collaborated with Artus Quellinus II, producing a set of sculptures for the Antwerp Cathedral. Of these sculptures, today only two marble statues of Gideon and Joshua remain in situ. The two statues used to flank a marble of Saint Michael, also a collaborative effort of Quellinus and van de Eynde, which stood over the Schermersaltaar (fencers' altar). The fencers' altar of Saint Michael was placed against the southern mother pillar of the central nave. Today, the two statues are located in the back of the nave, standing against the buttresses of the towers.